Following the established cooperation with Rosatom for the construction of Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant, the Akkuyu plant in Mersin, Ankara would like to extend this partnership for the construction of the second plant in Sinop in the Black Sea region, Alparslan Bayraktar said in his address at the two-day international nuclear energy event ATOMEXPO-2024 that kicked off on Monday in the Russian coastal city of Sochi.
Bayrakar shared that interest has been shown from other countries, and in particular, companies in China and South Korea, for investment in the country’s nuclear market.
Nuclear energy plays a critical role in reaching the country's 2053 net zero emission target, and to this end, a further two nuclear plants are planned in addition to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which is under construction in the Mersin province on the Mediterranean coast.
Bayraktar explained that the country’s nuclear energy program, which he described as a “huge undertaking,” is in line with the declaration made at the last UN climate conference, COP28, when the international community agreed that the world needs to triple its nuclear capacity by 2050.
He said that with the country’s expanding energy market, which is set to grow on average by 4% over the next two decades, changes are required to the electricity market along with more energy to match the growth in industrial demand.
To meet this demand, Ankara will prioritize more power generation from renewable sources as well as nuclear energy.
“We have a great potential for renewables and energy efficiency, but we absolutely need to add nuclear energy into our energy mix,” Bayraktar said.
The nuclear share of the country’s power basket will start with the construction of four reactors in the Akkuyu NPP with the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), with the aim of reaching 7.2 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2035 and 20 gigawatts by 2050.
According to the minister, this capacity target can be achieved by initially installing 4.8 gigawatts in Akkuyu, followed by another four reactors in the second plant in Sinop, and four more in a third plant in the Thrace region.
Small modular reactors will also contribute around 5 gigawatts over the next 20 to 30 years, an area in which the country will prioritize over the next few years for the transition to carbon neutrality.
To achieve the country’s decarbonization goal by 2053, Bayraktar said that the country not only needs to develop nuclear infrastructure but also to develop and train a professional and skilled workforce to develop this industry.
He sees that cooperation with Rosatom and relevant private entities locally and internationally will enable this development.
“We have a very important localization program with Rosatom, and we are actually building an ecosystem in Türkiye for nuclear energy.”
Bayraktar called for a unified stance in tackling global issues such as climate change and global warming and in achieving carbon neutrality goals in order to ensure a secure, and brighter future.
He also advocated for nuclear energy as part of this “better future,” arguing the need to remove all artificial barriers like trade restrictions and financial sanctions on this sector.
His address also included his condolences for the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow, where at least 137 people were killed and over 180 others injured after gunmen on Friday opened fire when rock band Picnic was about to perform at the Crocus City Hall in the city.
The theme of the 13th forum, supported by Rosatom, was 'Clean Energy: Empowering a Clean Future'.
Established in 2009, the ATOMEXPO International Forum is one of the key congress and exhibition events in the global nuclear industry.
This year, over 4,500 participants are attending the event from 75 countries, according to a statement from the organizers.
Among the attendees are Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mikhail Chudakov, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, Serbian Minister of Health Danica Grujicic, Belarusian Minister of Energy Viktor Karankevich, Director General of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) Sama Bilbao y Leon, and Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.
(Anadolu Agency, March 25, 2024)